Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book

PreS-Gr 1—Teckentrup’s simple rhyming story presents a short lesson in how bees pollinate our world. At the break of dawn, the little bee buzzes and floats past birds, deer, and other animals out to the meadow where the flowers grow. She knows that she has “a special job to do, gathering nectar…from every foxglove [and] every rose, dusty with pollen.” From bloom to bloom she goes, with the sun as her compass. As she works and travels, the pollen goes with her. When she discovers a field with “flowers as far as the eye can see,” it’s time to head back to the hive to spread the news. Soon, the other workers join her and leave “the gift of pollen behind” as they travel, playing their important part in the life cycle of plants and flowers. Teckentrup’s colorful mixed-media illustrations are enhanced digitally. The pages have a hexagonal die-cut, suggestive of a honeycomb, with a drawing of a bee at the center. Each cutout is smaller than the previous, creating an appealing frame. Although a simple presentation, this book is well suited for an introductory look at pollinators. VERDICT A recommended read-aloud for most elementary classrooms or informational book collections.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA

“Ample opportunities can be found to linger over the vibrant multimedia collages of meadows, woods, hedgerows, streams, and, most of all, the flowers bursting from the pages. An inviting introduction to the busy lives of honeybees.”—Booklist